Lock for cabinets



July 18, 1950 J. H. PAGE A 2,515,421

LOCK FOR CABINETS July 18, 1950 J. H. PAGE LOCK FOR CABINETS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 www Patented July 18, 1950 LOCK FOR CABINETS John H. Page, North Muskegon, Mich., assignor to The Shaw-Walker Company, Muskegon, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original application October 20, 1945, Serial No. 623,546. Divided and this application October 11, 1947, Serial'No. 779,399

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in locking means for nre-resisting cabinets or safes of the kind having a metal shell with an innerliner of molded insulation.

One of the major difficulties in constructing a fire-resisting record container which Will protect its contents against damage when the container is subjected to a nre, has been to provide a locking means which will-not provide a pathway for the entry of heat into the interior of the cabinet through the metal lock parts.

Another difculty has been to provide a locking mechanism which does not require a reduction in the thickness of the insulation in the wall of the cabinet to provide space for its installation and operation.

Still another difficulty, and a very serious one, encountered in providing locking means for multiple compartmented, insulated containers has been to provide a locking means .actuated by a single lock which does not require an opening connecting one insulated compartment with another.

The main object in providing an insulating partition between the adjoining compartments of a multiple compartmented, lire-resisting container is to protect the contents of each compartment independently of any other compartment.

Should failure of any compartment occur and excessively high temperatures or actual combustion occur in this compartment as a result of said failure, it is important that excessive temperature, gases or flames from the failed compartment be prevented from entering and contributing to the failure of the adjoining compartments.

Heretoiore, 'locking' mechanisms for multiple compartmented, insulated record containers which are actuated bya single lock have required l a chase or connecting opening between adjoining y compartments. 'In order not'to take up room which is needed for ling records, it has been the practice to provide a continuous chase in the insulated walls of the compartments to house a rod which isactuated by a single lock, With'this rod actuating locking means in the several compartments.

The reduction in the thickness of the insulation in the walls of the compartments to provide clearance for this lockrod causes a weakening in the walls atthis point, and under sudden impact, or because of expansion strains when the cabinet is exposed to sudden high temperatures, cracking may result at this weak point and excessive heat may enter.

Where vthe lock r'od passes through the partition separating adjoiningcompartments or Where the aforementioned continuous chase opens into adjoining compartments a means is provided for the passage of gases, etc., which in the event of failure of one compartment, may contribute to the failure of the others.

To eliminate these objections which are inherent in the design of present locking mechanisms for insulated record containers, I have provided a new locking mechanism and method of installing the same along the joint or front opening of the container, without encroaching on the main body of the insulation, as will appear from the following description of one embodiment of my invention.

This application is a division of my prior application, Serial No. 623,546, led October 20, 1945, and relates more particularly to the construction of the latch housings and locking rod and means for assembling the same in the cabinet.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a two compartment drawer type fire-resisting record container to which the improved locking mechanism is applied.

Figure 2 is a section-taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1, but with the drawers omitted.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail perspective oi' one of the temporary xture parts used for loeating the lock housing in thecontainer shell, when the insulation is poured into the latter during manufacture of the cabinet.

Figure 5 is a perspective fragmentary detail of the housings for the lock and latch mechanisms respectively, assembled with the temporary nxture parts used for locating them in the container shell.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of a latch member, together with a temporary xt'ure to assist in mounting it in the latch housing. i

Figure Tis an enl-argedvertical 4section taken along the locking tube and transversely of the lock and latch housings, to illustrate the method of inserting the lock tube and its latch operating levers in the cabinet. f

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, after the lock tube has beenyfully inserted in place, and connected to the locking mechanism in the lock housing. Figure 9 is a detail perspective of the lock.

Figure 10 is a detail section taken through the Figure 12 is a detail section taken through thev drawer jamb and the locking housing, and showing the lock in extended, or unlocked position in the latter.

Figure 13 is a section similar to Figure 12, showing the lock pushed into locking position.

Figure 14 is a section similar to Figure 13, showing a modified form of locking mechanism comprising a concealed device for unlocking the other compartments from a master drawer compartment when the drawer in the latter is opened'.

Figure 15 is a section showing another arrangement for a, concealed unlocking device operating on the same principle as that shown in Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a detail perspective view of a pusher plate forming part of thelatch operating mechanism.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, Ill indicates a lire-resisting cabinet or safe, having insulated top, bottom, side and rear walls I I, I2, I3 and I4, and an intermediate horizontal partition I forming two compartments I6 and Il each with framed openings at the front of the cabinet. In the form of cabinet illustrated, the two compartments contain sliding drawers 2l and 22, having similar insulated front heads 23. It will be understood that the drawer structure is merely shown for purposes of illustration of my improved locking mechanism which can be applied aswell to other closure members such as hinged doors, or a combination of drawers and doors, if desired.

The cabinet walls are formed as usual by a metal casing filled with a suitable insulating liner,

molded in the casing, as is usual with Cabinets of this kind.

The framed compartment openings I6 and Il each have the usual stepped side jambs, for receiving similar shaped stepped margins of the drawer heads 23. In the form shown, the framed openings also have outwardly extending flanges 24 intertting with inwardly extending flanges 24a on the drawer heads.

The locking mechanism includes as its principal elements, a lock 25 and latch devices 26, 21 forl the drawers 2I and 22 respectively. The locky is operatively connected with the two latch devices by a locking rod 28. As will be seen in Figures 1, 2 and 3, all of these locking parts are located along one side of the compartment opening jambs, and

` forwardly of the rear faces of the drawer heads 23,

so that they are outside of the main body portion of the insulation liner of the adjacent side wall The lock 25 is slidably mounted in a lock housing 3D open at its front end and having an integral cylindrical spring chamber 3| projecting from its rear end. The lock is installed in this housing as casing while the installation is poured in the latter, by temporary xture means, as follows:

A lock housing locating pin 40 (Figure 4) has a tongue 4I which fits in the open end of the lock housing 30. Said tongue is projected through the lock hole 39 provided in the front edge of the cabinet frame, a distance limited by the enlarged portion of said locating pin. The tongue 4I and the housing 30 have registering holes 42, 43 and 44 which are brought into exact alignment by passing a pouring rod 45 therethrough as Shown in Figure 5.

The open ends of the latch housing legs 3l are inserted in holes 46, 46 in metal frame members 4l disposed along the sides of the drawer openings, and are held in position while the pouring rod 45 is inserted in close-fitting relation through the holes at opposite ends of the elongated legs 36 of said housings, to close 01T said holes, as shown in Figure 5. The bottomend of said pouring rod is passed through a threaded aperture 49 in the bottom of the cabinet, said bottom end being provided with a threaded portion v5l) engaging in the said aperture by turning the rod handle 5I, so that a few turns locks the entire temporary xture above described in position for the pouring 30 ,poured through a hole in the bottom of the cabinet in the usual manner.

After the insulation isset, the pouring rod 45 is'turned to unscrew the threads 50, and the rod may then be withdrawn. The lock housing locating pin 4t) is also withdrawn so that the cabinet walls are then complete, with latch housings and lock housing yconnected by a cylindrical bore ready for installation of the locking mechanism, as will now be described.

For installing the locking mechanism, the cabinet is preferably placed onv its back with the end openings up; Each latch member 55 for the two compartments is then assembled with its spring 56 compressed in its hollow body by means of a hook 51 inserted through a hole 58 in the beveledY end of said latch member, said spring being held under compression ltemporarily by an end piece 59 pivoted on the opposite end of said hook, as shown in Figure 6. The latch members are then inserted in legs' 3l of the latch housings so that a side opening 66 in the rear end of latch member 55 aligns with vthe legs 360i said housings, and with the springs still compressedv toward the beveled ends of said latch members. v

The locking rod 28 is then installed by inserting it endwise from the bottom of the cabinet along the cylindrical bore left by the pouring rod. Said locking rod consists of a hollow tube, having two latch operating levers 6Iy and 62 pivotally mounted therein on cross pins 63, and arranged so that their free ends are initially folded inwardly along and within the limits of said tube, but may be swung outwardly through a slotted side opening 64 extending along said tube.

When the'locking rod or tube 28 is rst inserted in the bore, the slot 64"'is turned upwardly as When the locking tube is further advanced .to its final position, as shown in Figure 8, the ends of the latch levers 6| and 62 move into operative position in the side openings 60 of the latch members 55 and in the rear of the springs 56, which are still held under compression by the hooks 51. The hooks l are then removed, so the latch members assume their normal operative position, with the springs 56 engaging the ends of the latch levers 6l and 52. A screw plug 65 is then turned into the threaded hole 49 at the bottom of the cabinet to form a bearing support for the bottom end of the lock rod or tube 28.

The lock is then installed in the lock housing 30 in the following manner: A lock spring 58 is rst inserted in the cylindrical chamber 3| at the rear of the housing. A lock tube operating lever 59 is next inserted through the lock opening and iiXed on the end of the lock tube, said tube operating lever having an aperture fitting over said tube, withy a tongue 10 which interlocks in the slot 5H. of said tube, to hold the lever from rotation relative to the latter. An L-shaped pusher plate 'll has one leg 'l2 engagingthe inner end of the lock member 25, and has a stud 13 projecting inwardly to form a seat for the end of the lock spring 58. (See Figures 8 and 12.) The second leg 14 of the pusher plate 1l extends along one side of the lock. member 25 and has an `angularly arranged cam slot 15 formed therein, for engagement with the out-turned end 16 of the lock tube operating lever 69.

To assemble the lock member 25 and pusher plate, the pusher plate is iirst pushed inwardly against the lock spring 58 to a position about half way between its front and rear positions. This brings the end 16 of lock operating lever 69 in a central position relative to the lock housing. The parts may be held momentarily in this position by any suitable clamp or hook, engaged with one of the latches, to hold thel tube 28 in the same half-way position. The lock member 25 has ya slot 'I8 formed centrally of its inner end, through which the end 16 of the lever 69 can be passed, into the cut-out area 'I9 at the side of the lock. The clamp or hook may then be disengaged from its latch and the entire locking mechanism is thenI ready for operation.

The arrangement is such that by sliding the lock member 25 and pusher IplateV 'Il bodily inwardly or outwardly, the lock tube 2B will be rocked on its axis. Thus when the lock member 25 is in extended position shown in Figure 12, the latch levers tl and 62 will be withdrawn from locking position, as seen in Figure 10, and when the lock member 25 is pushed inwardly, asin Figure 13, the latch levers El and 62 will be forced forwardly into locking position, as seen in Figure 1l.

It will be observed that outward movement of the lock member 25 relative to the pusher plate 'll is limited by the inner end 'I6-'of the lever B9, both when the lock member is in locked or in unlocked position, Although said lock member can be withdrawn from the housing 35 when the lock member is in intermediate position with the end of the lever 16 in registry with slot 18, it

. will be understood that the lock member is never idle in this intermediate position so that accidental withdrawal of the lock member is not likely to occur.

The lock member 25 is held in locked position by a laterally movable spring-pressed locking bolt 8D, which engages in a locking recess 8| at one side ofthe lock housing 30. The lock mechanism y for controllingthe locking bolt iscontained within the locking memberand may be of any well-known tumbler type. including a tumbler barrel 82, so that details .thereof neednot befurther described herein. Y

To lock all compartments it is only .necessary to push the locking member 25 to the rearof4 the lock housing 30. Whenin this position. the bolt 80 of the lock springs into therecess vlll so that the cabinet is locked Yuntil unlocked by means of akey. v

Thus, the inward movement of the lock 25 actingthrough the lock spring pusherplate 'Il and the lock rod operating lever 69, causes the lock rod -28 with its latch operating levers'l and 62 to rotate sufliciently to move the latches outward into engaging position with the recesses provided in the side wall of the drawer head. Should any of the drawers be open at rthe time the cabinet is locked, the action of closing the drawer will cause the latch for that compartment to be forced inward against the compression spring 56 contained within -the latch and, upon the drawer reaching its closed position, the latch will spring outward again into the recess 85 in the side wall of the drawer head, thus locking the drawer.

It will be evident that the lock construction just described does not provide. a pathway for the yconduction of heat to the interior of the cabinet,

and that the mechanism requires no space te be I taken away from theinterior of the cabinet to provide for its installation.

In other words the latch mechanism is wholly contained within the narrowed outer stepped jambs at the sides of the closure openings, and is disposed in one corner of the cabinet outside of the inner surfaces of the .insulated drawer heads 22, and the interior dimensions ofthe cabiy and latched the latch housings are sealed offy from the drawer compartments.

Thus this constructionjpermits'a uniform wall thickness to be maintained around every compartment, and there is no opening from onecompartment of the cabinetto any other'compart-v ment.

It will be understood the locking mechanism above described may be employed with various auxiliary or combination locking arrangements,

where it is desired to provide additional independent locksforone or more compartments, but retaining inter-communicating lock mechanisms between certain, or all of the compartments. For instance, it is often desired to provide one'of the drawers with a4 combinationV lock which locks said drawer independently of the regular locking mechanism. With such an arrangement, all of the drawers excepting the lone having an independent lock are unlocked by lthe plunger lock 25, and the drawer having the independent lock is unlocked by both locks.

Another permissible variation of the auxiliary locking arrangement described in the preceding i paragraph consists in omitting the latch for the drawer having the combination or auxiliary lock, In this case the latter drawer can be unlocked and opened while the .remaining drawers are locked by the regular mechanism.

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l Stillanother variation employing an auxiliary disposed adjacentl the lock. housing 30, but havf ing an auxiliary lock (not shown) independent of the regular'locking mechanism. In this case, the regular latches and locking mechanism controlling the locking. vof the other drawers can be actuated for unlocking the latter by means of a pin 85, which can be inserted through an extended portion 86 communicating with the locking recess 8`I ofv the lock housing 30 only when the adjacent drawer 2| is unlocked and in open position. By inserting the pin 85 into the locking recess, the spring'pressed locking bolt is depressed and can be released from recess 8l to unlock the other drawers. The pin `85 can be connected to the inside of the drawer by a chain 81, if desired. With this forml of concealed unlocking device, it will be further understood that the key hole and tumbler barrel (not shown) of the sliding lock member 25 can be omitted, if desired, and the regular locking mechanism can be locked when desired merely by pushing the lock member 25 inwardly to engage bolt 80 in its locking recess 8|. y

Figure shows another vvariation of the concealed unlocking mechanism shown in Figure 15.

In Figure 15, a sliding block 88 is permanently mounted in the hollow extension 88 of the lock housing, and has a push rod or pin 89 connected thereto and extending through the aperture ,85dk

in the extension 86, with its outer end in position to be engaged by the nger when it is desired to unlock the bolt from the interior of the adjacent drawer opening. With this form, the adjacent side of the drawer head has a slotted recess 90 yto provide clearance for the pin 88 when the drawer is in closed position.

To facilitate assembly of the unlocking block 88 and pin 89 in the extension 88 of the lock housing, said block has a bore formed in its outer face. The inner end of the pin 89 can be passed through the aperture 85a and inserted in theblock 8845 with apress t.

Although I have shown and described certain embodiments of`"my invention, it wil be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and `modiiicatins may be made4 without departing from the spirit and scope ofv the invention as dened in the appended claims.

1. In a locking mechanism, a latch housing having a sliding latch therein,a rotatable control rod adapted for insertion endwise in said housing and a control lever4 for reciprocable operation of saidlatch pivotally mounted on said rod so as to be folded lengthwise of the latter for initial insertion in said latch housing, and saidhousing being el-ongated longitudinally of said rod to permit the free end of said lever to be thereafter swung .laterally ofv said rod into operative position relative to said latch member.

2.A In a locking mechanism, a plurality of latch housings with sliding latches therein; each of said latches, a rotatable control rod, said rod having a plurality of control levers for reciprocable operation of said latches pivotally mounted on said o housings having aligned openings offset from said rod so as to be foldable along said vrodfwhen the latter is inserted in the openings in said housings, and said housings'being elongatedflongitudinally of said rodtfpermit'theiree end of said said housing and having a bolt at one side for locking engagement with a detent in said housing, latch means remote from said lock housing, arockable control rod for said latch means having `one end extending into one side of said housling and having a lever xed thereon, and cam means movable with said sliding lock member engageable by said lever for eiecting rocking movement yof said control rod by sliding movement of said `lock member.

4. In -a locking mechanism, a lock housing open at one enda lock member slidably mounted in said housing and having a bolt at one side for locking eng-agement with a detent in said housing, latch means remote from said lock housing, a rockable control rod for said latch means having one end extending into one side of said housing and having a lever fixed thereon, and cam means movable with said'sliding lock member engageable by said lever for effecting rocking movement of said control rod by sliding movement of said lock member, said locking member having a transverse lip adjacent its inner end for engaging the end of said lever and normally retaining said lock member in its housing,` said lip being cut away at an intermediate point to permit bodily insertion of said lock member in the open end of said housing for initial assembly with said cam means, when the ycontrol rod and lever are temporarily held at an intermedi-ate point between their fully locked and fully unlocked positions, asand for the purpose described.

5. In a locking mechanism, a latch housing having aligned openings in lopposite walls thereof, a rotatable control rod normally extending through and journalled in said openings, a latch member slidably mounted in said housing at one side and transversely of said control rod and having one end extending through another opening in said housing for engagement with a detent, and a control lever1V `for reciprocable operation of said latch member pivotally mounted at one end to said rod and -foldable lengthwise of the latter so as to permit initial insertion of the rod and 4lever through one of said aligned openings, and said housing being elongated longitudinally of said rod to permit the free end of said lever to be thereafter swung away from said rod into operlattive engagement with said sliding latch mem- 6. In a locking mechanism, a latch housing having aligned openings in opposite walls there'- lof, a rotatable control rod normally extending through said openings and in bearing engagement in the latter, a latch member slidably ymounted in said housing at one side and trans- 'said sliding latch'mernber.,y

7. a locking mechanism, fan elongated vlatch housing lhaving laligned openings in opposite end Walls thereof, a rotatable control rod normally extending in bearing engagement through said openings, a latch member slidably mounted in said housing at one side `and transversely of said control rod and having one end extending through said housing for engagement with a detent, and a control lever for reciprocable operation of said latch member pivotally mounted at one end to said rod and foldable lengthwise and Within the bearing circumference of the latter so as to permit initial insertion of the rod and lever through one of said aligned openings, said housing being elongated interorly between the end openings thereof and toward said latch member to permit the free end of said lever to be thereafter swung away from said rod into operative engagement with said latch member.

8. A locking mechanism in accordance with claim 7, wherein the latch member is arranged near one end of said housing so that said control 20 lever may 'be swung laterally into operative en gagement therewith during longitudinal sliding movement of said control rod to its nal bearing position in said housing.

JOHN H. PAGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

